Scrubbing-machine.



B. B. HEFFBLFINGER.

SGRUBBING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1909.

Patented Jan. 8, 1911.

pm :9 mono anouwga UNITED STATES a'rnntr OFFICE.

BYRDE B. HEJFFELFINGER. OF SYRACUSE. INDIANA.

scRUBBI c-MAoH-INE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

Application-filed September i0. 1909. Serial No. 517L092.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I. BYHDE B. Hi-irrnLFix- GER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of. Kosciusko and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Scrubbing-Machinc. of which the fol-z lowing is a specification.

This machine relates to machines for scrubbi'tig floors, etc., and its object is to provide a machine of this character which can be readily manipulated'and which s provided with novel means for thoroughly.

scrubbing the surface on which the machineis mounted and for taking up thedirty wa-- ter upon said surface and discharging it into a receptacle carried by the said machine.

Another object is to provide means for supplying water to the scrubbing-brushes,-

said means being constantly under the colitrol of the operator;

Another ob ect 1514) provide 'iiieans for holding the scrubbing brushes \fltfltlillfllX in contact with the surface to be cleaned-for the purpose of automatically taking up wear. upon the. brushes and for causing them to follow the contour of any uneven surfaces bein cleaned.

. -,\Vith these and other objects in view the j imention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts here-' matter more fully described and pointed out in the claim.

.In the accompanying drawings the pre- 'ferred form of the invention has been the band used in connection therewith. Fig.

(i is a detail View of portions of the two wringing rolls and the spring connection 'tl iei'ebetween.

Referring to the figures byeharacters of reference 1 designates a housing open at the bottom and provided tltljtttitllt the front thereofvwith studs 2011 which are. journalcd t-he'front supporting wheels 3 of the machine. Each of these w'hecls has av beveled gear 4 secured to its inner face, it being understood that the wheels are housed within theinachine as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. Each beveled gear 4 meshes with the beveled gear 5 feathered upon a spindle ti'which is revolubly and slidably mounted within a cross-bar 7 connecting the sidesof the'housing near the front thereof. said spindle also extending through the top ofthe housin A brush 8 is secured to the lower end, of

spindle 6 and interposed between this brush and the gear 5 is -a spring 9 which serves to hold the brush i'ior inall v pressed down; wardly against the surface thereunder. Down 'ard movement of the gear 5 is of course n'evented bv the ear -t meshin therewith, and the. bar 7 proteins upward disphicement of' the gear Two brushes 8 are of course utilized. said brushes being arranged side by side and each brush being actuated by one of the wheels I; and the mechanism connected thereto.

;\rranged tmns'rersely within the housing 1 and lllltllttllflitl): in rear of the brushes 8 is a receptacle 10. the top of which is open and inclined and journaled within the ho'using and ,directt' above this receptacle are .wringer rollers 11 and 12 bearing within the end portions of spring arms iiiextending from a coil 14 which is secured in any suitable manner to a stud 15 extending inwardly from the housing. The spring arms 13 serve to hold the rolls 11 'and 12 normally pressed together. Mounted on the upper roll 1l is anendless wiping belt-16 formed of canvas or other strong fabric. on the outer or working face of which are secured particles of sponge, as' indicat'edat. 17.; It is to be understood that. these particles can be attached in any preferred manner and may be interwoven with the fabric. instead of utilizing sponge particles pieces of any other suitable absorbent material may be employed. Secured upon the inner surface ofv the belt. 16 and along the longitudinal center thereof is a metal band 18 having apertures-f1!) "therein at reguh r intervals. said band being designed to extend around a Spi'ockte-QQ theteeth of which w'c wk within. the apertures 19. 'lhis s ')rocket. is located at the center of a roll 21 mounted on a shaft 22 which is journa'led in the side of housing 1 near the. rear thereof, there being a gear 23 upon the shaft and at one side of the housing. said gear meshing with a smaller gem-'21. This last mentioned gear is secured to a shaft. 25 onwhich is mounted a rear ;supporting roller 26. An idler roller Also 95 a 27 is journaled within the housing and belt is in substantially horizontal alincment with the bottom of each brush 8.

A yoke 28 embraces and is pivotally con- 4 nected to the housing and has a handle :29

extending from the center thereof. Secured to this handle is a tank to the outlet 31 of which are connected flexible tubes 32 designed to convey liquid from the tank to soap-holders 33 arranged in the front portion of the housing '1, one holder being lo cated close to each of the brushes 8, so that the liquid upon leaving the boxes or holders i will flow downwardly on. to the brushes. A I

i sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

valve 34 is arranged withinthe outlet 31 and maybe actuated by means of a lever 35 fulcrumed o'n yoke 28 and connected to an operating lever 36 by means of a rod 37.

This operating lever 36 is located close to the grip convenientlyreached by a hand grasping the gri' P p Vhen it is desired to use the machine the boxes or holders 33' are filled with soap or other suitable cleansing composition and the tank 30 is filled with water; When the inachine is pushed over the surface to be cleaned the wheels 3 transmit motion. to the res ctive brushes through the gears 4 and 5 I an these brushes will be rotated in opposite so asto permit water to flow into the boxes directions simultaneously and the springs 9 will press them yieldingly upon the surface being cleaned. While these brushes are rotating the operator can open the valve 34 or holders 33 and thence on to the brushes.

38 of the handle so that it can be As, the machine passes over the surface to t be cleaned the wiping belt 16 will be act-nated by the rear wheels 26 which transmit motion thereto through the gears 24 and 23 and the sprocket 20. This wiping belt will What is claimed is A scrubbing machine comprising a. wheelsupported housing grooved rolls mounted within and exten ing transversely of the housing, a band seated within the grooves and having apertures, a sprocket engaging the apertured band, a tank within the housing, an absorbent belt connected to the band and mounted on the grooved rolls a pring pressed roll cooperating with one of the rolls at a point ahove the tank for wringing moisture from the belt, and scrubbing actuated by a supporting wheel. In testimony that I claim thewforegoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BYRDE B. HEFFELFINGER.

Witnesses:

G. H. MOMIG AEL, E. J. DnrocK.

brushes mounted within the housing and 

